South Africa’s National Treasury, alongside SARS and UNU-WIDER, has launched Phase III of the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme, a three-year initiative backed by the European Union and the United Kingdom to embed rigorous, co-produced evidence into policymaking.
Running from 2026 to 2029, the programme builds on Phase II’s record of over 130 published research papers 65% authored by South Africans and 63% featuring women and the training of more than 200 participants in advanced economic modelling, econometrics, and data science.
The National Treasury Secure Data Facility, which supported 65 researchers in the past year, stands as a pioneering model for responsible use of anonymised tax data in the Global South.
Deputy Minister of Finance Dr David Masondo underscored the programme’s importance: “Better evidence leads to better policy, and better policy leads to better outcomes for our people.”
Incoming UNU-WIDER Director Patricia Justino added that trust between research and policymaking is rare but essential: “In times of uncertainty, bad decisions become very costly… What SA-TIED has built is something very rare: trust.”
Phase III introduces a sharper focus on public expenditure efficiency, reflecting fiscal constraints and the need to measure not just how much the state spends, but how effectively.
EU Deputy Ambassador Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz described the partnership as embodying innovation and commitment to evidence-led policy, while British High Commissioner Antony Phillipson stressed the necessity of a “sophisticated, targeted evidence base” to navigate complex trade-offs.
SARS Deputy Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu reaffirmed the strategic role of tax data as “the lifeblood of research and economic policy design.”
The implications extend beyond South Africa. By strengthening state capability, expanding access to administrative datasets, and embedding research within government systems, SA-TIED positions the region as a leader in evidence-based governance.
For global markets, the initiative signals a commitment to transparency, efficiency, and resilience in policymaking qualities increasingly vital in an era of fiscal strain and geopolitical uncertainty.
The outlook suggests that South Africa’s model could inspire replication across the Global South, reinforcing the link between credible evidence and inclusive economic development.
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